Bolted pallet and skid platform



March 1945- J. H. CRUICKSHANK 2,371,873

BOLTED PALLETS AND SKID PLATFORMS Filed Aug. 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1March 20, 1945.

J. H. CRUICKSHANK BOL'I'ED PALLETS AND SKID PLATFORMS Filed Aug. 4, 19422 Sheets-Sheet 2 of the cross-boards,

Patented Mar. 20, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOLTED PALLET ANDSKID PLATFORM James Harmon Crulckshank, Big Indian, N. Y., assignor ofthirty-five per cent to Florence Baxter Cruickshank, five per cent toJames Harmon five per cent to John Em- Cruickshank,

mett Cruickshank,

Junior,

five per cent to Robert 1:, and fifteen per cent to ank, all of BigIndian, N. Y.

Application August 4, 1942, Serial No. 453,580

. '2 Claims. (Cl. 248-120) This invention is a novel improvement inpalconsisting of two superimposed sectogether to form a unitary pallet,comprising spaced cleat members connected together by cross-boardssecured to the cleat members by means of: nails driven through theboards and cleat members and clinched, the sections thus formed beingthen superimposed in opposed relation and the cleat members of thesections secured together by means of spike rods riveted at each endover the faces of the cleat members or by means of clinched nails, orbolts, or other means.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide an improvedsectional pallet or skid platform of the above type having bolts similarto ordinary carriage bolts adjacent each end of the cross-boards of eachsection, said boltshaving flattened heads exposed at the outer faces ofthe cross-boards, and having non-circular shank portions engaging theholes for the bolts through the cross-boards to prevent the bolts fromturning, the opposite or threaded ends of the bolts terminating in nutreceiving recesses in the inner faces of the related cleat members,whereby theopposed sections may be readily superimposed withoutinterference by the bolts and nuts, and the two sections then securedtogether in the manner set forth in my aforesaid application and abovedescribed; said arrangement of the carriage bolts preventing anymaterial weakeningof the pallets, since the flat heads of the bolts areexposed without countersinking on the outer faces are usually about 1/25 which thick, and since the nut receiving recesses in the cleats needbe only about in depth, while the cleat members themselves are usuallyabout 2" x 4" in cros -section, thus leaving 1%" of solid wood under thenuts the same being more than the thickness of cross-boards themselves.Also the use of carriage bolts with square shanks under the headsprevents the bolts from turning, and as the nuts are No. 2,297,347),which disclosed twoin the cleat members,

' cesses or slots in the adjacent cleat members, the

nuts themselves cannot rotate or become loosened and drop off duringusage of the pallets, Whereas if the nuts were exposed in recesses orslots at outer faces of the pallet or skid platform cleats, as is oftenthe case in present day pallets and platforms, the nuts would be able torotate and loosen or drop off, thereby rendering the pallets orplatforms useless.

A further object of the invention is to provide a modified pallet orskid platform in which all the clinched nails shown in my aforesaidapplication, for holding the cross-boards on the cleat members of thesections, may be entirely replaced by carriage bolts in the manner abovedescribed,

said bolts each having nuts disposed in recesses or slots in thecontacting inner faces of the cleat or runner members.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a skid platform inwhich the cleats or runners are formed in sections, and the cross-boardsare secured to the upper sections by clinched nails, or clinched nailsand carriage bolts, or by carriage bolts alone having nuts disposed inrecesses or slots in the undersides of the upper sections; certain ofsaid carriage bolts being replaced by longer carriage bolts extendingthrough the crossba-ards and through the upper and lower cleat or runnersections of the skid platforms, said long bolts having nuts disposed inrecesses or slots in the under sides of tions; and said lower cleat orrunner sections having wear blocks adjacent their ends.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawingswhich illustrate several practical-embodiments thereof, to enable othersfamiliar with the art to adopt and use the same; and will summarize inthe claims, the novel features of construction, and novel combinationsof parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of one form of my novel pallet.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged'section on the line 3Q, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but showing the use of rivetedspikes in place of bolts for holding the cleat sections together.

disposed in opposed contacting relation in re- 55 Fig. 5 is a sectionsimilar to Fig. 3 but showing the use of clinched nails instead of boltsor riveted spikes for holding the cleatsections together.

the lower cleat or runner sec-V cross-boards to the cleat members ofthesectlons. Fig. 6a is a fragmentary side elevation of a modifiedpallet similar to Fig. 6, butshowing the use of continuous slots insteadof separate recesses in the cleatsfor receiving the nuts of the bolts.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a skid platform embodying my sectionalcleat or runner feature, utilizing carriage bolts for receiving thecross-boards to the related cleat members, also for holding the cleatand runner members together.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of one of the cleats and runners of the skidplatform shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation similarto Fig. 7, but showing the use of clinched nails for holding thecross-boards and cleat members of the skid platform together, instead ofcarriage bolts.

The pallets shown in Fig. 1 with their superimposed loads are usuallyhandled and stacked in tiers by means of lifting trucks havingvertically movable lifting fingers which are inserted intoopeningsbetween the upper and lower faces at the sides of the pallets, thepallets with their superimposed loads being placed upon or removed fromthe load on the underlying pallet, the

loads remaining upon the pallets when in stacked relation.

In my copending application, Serial No. 429,307, (now Patent No.2,297,347), I disclosed a pallet made of two opposed similar sections,generally similar to that shown in Figs. 1-5 inclusive herein, eachsection comprising parallel spaced cleat members I of depth onlyone-half the required spacing between cross-boards, on opposite faces ofthe pallet, necessary to receive the lifting fingers of the lift truck.Disposed across the cleats I of each pallet section were cross-boards 2se- I cured to the cleat members I by two (or more) standard nails 3having their lower ends clinched, as at 311 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) and thetwo pallet sections are then superimposed in opposed relation andsecured togetherby various means of bolts 4 carrying nuts 5 (Fig. 3);or-by means of heavy nails or spikes In: having riveted heads 41! (Fig.4); or by means of long spikes or nails 4a: whose ends are clinched overas at 4.2 (Fig. 5) or by other means.

My present invention provides for further increased strength in thepallets by arranging bolts at the ends of the cleat members I passingthrough the cleat members I and cross-boards 2 in such manner as-toavoid weakening of the pallets.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the outermost crossboards 2 of each cleatsection are provided with holes 2h adapted to receive carrlage bolts 8having flattened heads overlying the outer faces of the boards 2 in suchmanner as to avoid injury to the loads carried thereon. The shank ofeach bolt 8 has a non-circular shank portion 8a adjacent the head snuglyfitting a correspondingly shaped portion in the hole 2h in the board.Each bolt 8 also extends through a bore I h in the related cleat memberI and terminates within nut receiving recesses lit in the related cleatmember I and terminates within nut receiving recesses lit in the lowerface of its related cleat member I, a nut 9 being threaded upon the endof the bolt I and being disposed within said recess Ik.

The recesses lie for nuts 9 need only be approximately in depth, thusleaving a 1%" thickness of solid wood between the nuts 8 and the exceed1 /3".

under surfaces of the cross-boards 2. which depth may be more than thethickness of the crossboards 2 themselves which would ordinarily notThus the above arrangement of bolts 8 not only avoids weakening of thecleats due to the counterslnking or formation of the recesses lie, butthe use of the flat headed carriage bolts greatly increases the strengthof the pallets by preventing separation of the crossboards 2 at the endsof the cleat members I adjacentv the openings in the pallets whichreceive the lifting fingers of the lift trucks. Furthermore, the use ofcarriage bolts 8 with non-circularv shanks 8a adjacent their heads,prevents the bolts from turning in the pallets; and as the nuts 9 arehoused in recesses II: in the contacting faces of the cleat members,said nuts 8 cannot become loosened, whereas if the nuts were exposed inrecesses 9 at outer faces of the cleats I, the nuts might readily workloose and fall off. While the recesses Ik in the opposed cleats I may,if desired, be disposed opposite each other so that nuts 9 would bedisposed in contacting relation, the recesses are preferably staggeredso that any accidental protrusion of the bolts or nuts due to thinnessof the members I or 2 will be absorbed in the wooden face of theopposite cleat.

Instead of using separate recesses Us for each nut 9, slots Is (Fig. 6a)may be provided in the contacting faces of the cleat members I of thepallet sections extending inwardly from each end thereof the desireddistance, which slots would serve the same purpose without detractingfrom the strength of the pallet.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bolts 8 each replace clinched nails 13 atthe ends of the cleat more) carriage bolts 8 are provided connectingeach of the cross-boards 2 to their related cleat members I in the samemanner as above described and shown in Fig. 2, the nuts 9 (Fig. 6) beingdisposed in recesses Ik-in the contacting faces of the cleat members Ias above described. the opposed nuts 9, 9, being in contacting relationas shown; or the opposed nuts 9, 9 (Fig. So)

,being disposed in opposed continuous slots Is and in opposed contactingrelation, said slots extending the full lengths of the cleat members I,said slots Is saving the labor involved in forming separate recesses liefor each bolt 9. In event the bolts 9 are staggered in the crossboards,the slots Is may be as wide as the width of the cleat will permitwithoutsacrificing unnecessary strength; thus if the cleat is 2" widetheslot may readily be 1" in width, and if the cleat is 4" wide the slotmay be 3" in width. The means for holding the superimposed sectionstogether may be the same as those disclosed in Figs. 3, 4, 5, ordisclosed in my aforesaid application Serial No. 429,307.

The all-bolted pallet shown in Figs. 6 and 6:: provides a substantialsaving in cost over that of the present-day all-bolted pallet which-ordinarily utilizes about twenty bolts of V2" diameter and about 6 /4"long to hold the cross-boards and unsectionalized 4" x 4" cleatstogether, and which are so constructed that the nuts on the ends of thebolts must be countersunk in exposed faces of the cross-boards, thusweakening the cross-boards even when the cross-boards are 1%" inthickness. Moreover, the relatively large bolts used in such present daypallets are expensive, costing approximately eighty cents for eachpallet. In my all-bolted pallet, using inverted bolts, the cross-boardsneed only be about 1 in thickness, and forty carriage bolts of rs"diameter and 3" in length, plus six bolts of diameter and 4" in lengthto hold the sections together need be used, the same costing about fiftycents. Moreover, in my pallet only about forty-eight and one-half feetof lumber is needed, as against eighty feet used in the present-dayall-bolted pallet, and the boring for the bolt holes may be done by amultiple boring machine so that this extra cost is negligible; also thenuts may be tightened by machine.

In Figs. 7 and 8 a novel skid platform is illustrated embodying theabove described features in that the cross-boards 2 of the upper sectionare secured to the upper cleat members I by means of carriage bolts 8having heads exposed upon the outer faces of the cross-boards I, andnuts 9 disposed in recesses Ik (or slots Is) in the lower faces of thecleat members I, the bolts 8 passing through bores 2h in thecross-boards and bores In in the cleat member I in the same manner asabove stated in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, the nuts 9 contacting theadjacent faces of the underlying runner members III which close therecesses Us (or slots Is) in the cleat members I. Runner members III aredisposed'below each cleat member I and carry replaceable shoes II havingbeveled ends and disposed on the undersides of the runners to, saidshoes being secured to the runners In by spikes or nails I2 driventhrough the beveled ends of the shoes and entering the runners ID at anangle thereto as shown in Fig. 7, so that the heads of the spikes I2will not be exposed at the bottom faces of the shoes II. In order tosecure the cleat members I and runners I8 together, certain of the bolts8 are replaced by long bolts I3, preferably carriage bolts, extendingdown through the cross-boards 2, through the cleats I and through therunners III as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, bolts I 3 having nuts I4 on theirlower ends, the nuts I4 in way of the shoes II being housed in recessesI5 formed in the underside of the runners I0 of such depth that the nutsI4 will contact the shoes II to keep the nuts from turning on the bolts.Thus 'in event a runner section I0 or cleat section I should becomebroken or worn, the same may be readily replaced by removing nuts I4without having to discard the other section, thereby permitting amaterial saving in upkeep of the skid platforms.

In Fig. 9 a modification of the skid platform is illustrated in whicheach of the carriage bolts 8 (Fig. '7) is replaced by a clinched nail 3similar in all respects to those shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the ends ofthe nails 3 being clinched as at 3a under the cleat members I; otherwisethe skid platform is the same as shown and described with respect toFigs. 7 and 8, the long bolts I3 extending through the cross-boards 2,cleat members I, and runners I0, and carrying nuts I4; and the runnersI0 being provided with shoes II secured by spikes I2.

I do not limit my invention to the exact forms shown in the drawings,for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of theclaims.

I claim:

1. A pallet comprising opposed superimposedsections; each sectioncomprising spaced parallel cleats, cross-boards connecting said cleats,and bolts having shanks of substantially the same length as the combinedthickness of the boards and cleats passing therethrough, said boltshaving flattened heads overlying the outer faces of the cross-boards,and said bolts carrying nuts disposed in recesses in the contactingfaces of the cleats; and means connecting the cleats of the superimposedsections together.

2. In a pallet as set forth in claim 1, said recesses comprisingcontinuous slots in the cleats, and the nuts in each slot contacting theface of the opposed cleat.

JAMES HARMON CRUICKSHANK.

